Story Hour Readers, book 3 | Page 8

Cinderella. "The prince has invited me to attend the
ball to be given to-morrow night. Oh, how I wish that I might go!"
"You may certainly go to the prince's ball to-morrow night. I wish to
make you very happy, dear child," said the Fairy Godmother.
By the time the mother and sisters had returned home from the ball, the
Fairy Godmother had disappeared.

Cinderella was sitting by the kitchen fire in her rags.
"Do you not wish that you had been to the ball?" asked the sisters.
"There was a wonderful princess there. The prince would dance with no
one else."
"Who was she?" asked Cinderella.
"That we cannot say," answered the two sisters. "She would not tell her
name, though the prince, on bended knee, begged her to do so."
The next night, as soon as the mother and sisters had started in their
carriage to attend the ball, the Fairy Godmother appeared once more.
Again, at the touch of her wand, the pumpkin became a coach; the mice
became horses; the rat became a coachman, and the lizards became
footmen.
The Fairy Godmother touched Cinderella's clothes with her wand, and
this time her rags became a beautiful costume of silver cloth, covered
with rubies. In place of the worn-out shoes were the wonderful glass
slippers.
"Whatever you do, remember to leave before the clock strikes twelve,"
said the Fairy Godmother, as Cinderella drove away.
When Cinderella arrived at the king's palace, the prince met her at the
door. He would dance with no one else.
Cinderella was very happy. The hours passed swiftly away, but she left
the palace before the clock struck twelve.
The king gave another ball the third night. This time Cinderella wore a
costume of gold cloth, covered with sparkling diamonds; and on her
feet were the wonderful glass slippers.
The prince met her at the door. He led her to the ball room and again
would dance with no one else.
This time Cinderella was enjoying the ball so much that she forgot the
warning of the Fairy Godmother.
Suddenly the clock began to strike twelve. With a cry of alarm she fled
from the ball room, dropping one of her glass slippers in her haste.
The prince hurried after her, but by the time he reached the royal
courtyard the beautiful maiden had disappeared.
As Cinderella arrived at her own gate, the coach became a pumpkin;
the horses became mice; the coachman became a rat and the footmen
lizards.
Cinderella was again clothed in rags, but in her hand she carried one of

the glass slippers that she had worn at the prince's ball.
The mother and sisters came home soon afterwards. They could talk of
nothing but the sudden disappearance of the beautiful princess.
On the following morning, there was a noise of trumpets and drums.
The king's messengers passed through the town, crying, "The king's son
will marry the fair maiden whose foot the glass slipper exactly fits."
The prince rode behind in his coach. He was followed by a company of
attendants, who carried the glass slipper upon a velvet cushion.
At last the procession arrived at the home of Cinderella.
The mother and sisters saw the prince coming.
They at once hid pretty Cinderella under a tub in the kitchen.
The prince tried to fit the glass slipper to the foot of the oldest daughter.
The foot was too long and too thin at the heel.
"You can pare off the heel," said the mother.
But the prince only laughed.
He tried the glass slipper on the foot of the second daughter. Her foot
was too short and too fat at the toe.
"You can pare off the toe," said the mother.
But the prince only laughed.
Suddenly the parrot called, from his cage by the kitchen window,
"You may pare off the heels, Or pare off the toes, But under the tub
The slipper goes."
The prince ordered his attendants to lift the tub. Crouching under it sat
Cinderella, clothed in rags but wearing on one foot the mate to the glass
slipper.
The prince knelt upon the velvet cushion, and tried on Cinderella's foot
the little glass slipper which he had found in the ball room. It fitted
exactly. It was like the slipper that Cinderella had on the other foot.
At that moment, the Fairy Godmother appeared. She touched
Cinderella's clothes with her wand.
There stood Cinderella, dressed in a costume even more beautiful than
those she had worn at the palace.
Then the prince saw that Cinderella was indeed the lovely maiden for
whom he was searching. He arose and kissed her, and begged her to
become his wife.
The prince and Cinderella were married, and in time they became king
and queen. They ruled